Travel Guide
Everything you need to know about getting around Lisbon and Portugal — airport transfers, private tours and day trips.
Lisbon Airport, officially known as Humberto Delgado Airport, is Portugal's main international gateway and the largest airport in the country. It is located within the city limits, approximately 7 kilometres north-east of the historic centre, making it one of the closest city airports in Europe. The airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 handles most scheduled flights and full-service carriers, while Terminal 2 serves low-cost airlines. A free shuttle connects the two terminals. After clearing arrivals, the most convenient way to reach your hotel is a pre-booked private transfer, which avoids queues for taxis and public transport and ensures your driver meets you directly at the arrivals exit with a name sign.
Lisbon's historic centre is compact but built across seven steep hills, which makes walking challenging in parts. The city has an extensive public transport network including the metro, buses, trams and ferries across the Tagus, but for visitors who value comfort and time, private transport offers a significant advantage. A private driver knows the city's narrow one-way streets, the best viewpoints and the most efficient routes between neighbourhoods. For travel beyond Lisbon, Portugal's motorway network connects the main regions efficiently: the A1 runs north to Porto (approximately 300 km, 3 hours), the A2 runs south to the Algarve (approximately 280 km, 2.5 hours), and the A6 runs east towards the Spanish border at Elvas and Badajoz, on the way to Seville.
Lisbon is an ideal base for day trips across central and southern Portugal. Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage palace town, is just 30 kilometres west and can be combined with Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point of mainland Europe) and the coastal town of Cascais in a single day. Fátima, one of the world's most important Catholic pilgrimage sites, lies 120 kilometres north and is often visited alongside the Batalha Monastery and the Convent of Christ in Tomar. The medieval walled town of Óbidos, the big-wave fishing town of Nazaré and the Alcobaça Monastery form a classic west-coast itinerary. Évora, a UNESCO city in the Alentejo plains 130 kilometres east, offers Roman ruins, a medieval cathedral and the Chapel of Bones. Each of these destinations is comfortably reachable as a private day trip from Lisbon.
A private transfer or tour offers three key advantages over shared transport and group tours. First, privacy: you travel only with your own group, with no strangers sharing the vehicle. Second, flexibility: the itinerary, pace and stops are tailored to your interests, not a fixed schedule. Third, local knowledge: a professional local driver knows the routes, the best times to visit each site and the places that group tours cannot reach. For travellers visiting Portugal for the first time, a private service also removes the stress of navigating unfamiliar roads, parking and language, leaving more time to enjoy the experience.
Talk to us directly on WhatsApp for a personalised itinerary.
Cookies
We use analytics cookies to understand how visitors use this site. Accept or decline — the site works either way.